Bearing Witness to the Lived Experience of Chinese Exclusion: An International Baccalaureate Inquiry Unit for Critical Literacy through Photovoice

This field project used Kurasawa (2007)\u27s action-theoretical framework of modes of practice for human rights, together with Ewald (2012)\u27s Memories of Past Centuries unit to create an outline of an inquiry unit for a Humanities course within the International Baccalaureate\u27s MYP. As the intended students are at IB schools in Xi\u27an, China, bearing witness to the lived experience of Chinese Exclusion at the Angel Island Immigration Station was chosen as the content

Deciding on the Appropriateness of B2B Reverse Auction Technology Adoption: An AHP Approach Combined with Integer Programming

Although Business-to-Business online reverse auctions have emerged as a promising purchasing tool, no research has been found that provides a model to assess the reverse auction decision in a systematic way. This paper fills this gap by presenting an integrated approach, utilizing Analytic Hierarchy Process techniques and an Integer Programming Formulation, to decide whether Reverse Auction Technology (RAT) adoption is cost-effective and appropriate. The model developed is a practical decision support tool that allows for the consideration of both qualitative and quantitative decision factors, and for the adoption of multiple modes of RATs, which are contrasted to traditional purchasing

The role of mTOR signalling in primordial germ cell development

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the embryonic precursors of mature egg and sperm cells. In the mouse, following specification at embryonic day (E) 7.25, PGCs proliferate and migrate through the embryonic hindgut towards the genital ridges (future gonads). At E10.5, upon genital ridge entry, developing PGCs undergo epigenetic reprogramming followed by sex differentiation, committing to either oogenesis or spermatogenesis. Signalling cross-talk between PGCs and soma is a key feature of germ cell development. However, to what extent extrinsic signals emanating from the gonadal environment influence key germ cell processes is still not well understood. Here, I describe for the first time a crucial role of a key nutrient and hormone sensing pathway (mTOR) during PGC development. mTOR signals via two distinct multi-protein complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2. Most of the presented work focuses on mTORC1 and its downstream translational regulators 4E-binding proteins (4E-BPs) and S6 kinases (S6Ks), respectively. Using an immunofluorescence-based approach, I show that in mouse PGCs, mTORC1 signals mainly via 4E-BP1, rather than the S6K1-S6 signalling axis. Interestingly, the observed activation of mTORC1-4E-BP1 signalling in PGCs shortly follows their entry into the genital ridge, suggesting a possible role at this developmental transition. However, global deletion of either 4E-BPs or S6Ks revealed only a minor phenotype in PGCs. Further, my results also point towards activation of AKT, a potential upstream mTORC1 activator in PGCs. This indicates a possible link to mTORC2 signalling. In view of that, I carried out a germline specific conditional deletion of Mtor (using a newly generated Blimp1-iCre mouse line), that leads to the loss of mTORC1 and mTORC2. Preliminary observations show a strong phenotype of very few germ cells surviving at E13.5. In summary, my results suggest a critical role for mTOR signalling during PGC development.Open Acces

Using Video Modeling to Teach Vocational Skills to Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study evaluated the effectiveness of video self-modeling as a method for teaching two young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) how to perform job-related skills in a vocational setting. Prior to intervention, videos were recorded of the participants as they performed single steps of novel tasks at their jobsites. The researcher created video self-models by combining and editing the recordings of the single tasks into a video that depicted the participants performing all the steps of the task in succession. The videos included written instructions and voiceovers of the instructions. The videos were uploaded to Box, an app that enabled the participants to watch their respective videos on a smartphone prior to attempting a task. The effectiveness of the video self-monitoring intervention was evaluated using a multiple baseline across behaviors design. Results indicated the participants performed job-related skills at higher levels after video-self modeling was presented. Social validity data indicated that video self-modeling was an effective, appropriate, and feasible method of teaching job-related skills in vocational settings

Ácidos grasos y tratamiento dietético de la artrosis canina basado en la evidencia

La Osteoartritis es una enfermedad inflamatoria y degenerativa del cartílogo articular, cuyo tratamiento es multifactorial. Se sabe que puede responder a la adición de ácidos grasos, concretamente de ácido eicosapentanoico, en la dieta, como verifican estudios realizados con análisis de placas de fuerza.

Preferred sizes and ordering in surface nanobubble populations

Two types of homogeneous surface nanobubble populations, created by different means, are analyzed statistically on both their sizes and spatial positions. In the first type (created by droplet-deposition, case A) the bubble size R is found to be distributed according to a generalized gamma law with a preferred radius R*=20 nm. The radial distribution function shows a preferred spacing at ~5.5 R*. These characteristics do not show up in comparable Monte-Carlo simulations of random packings of hard disks with the same size distribution and the same density, suggesting a structuring effect in the nanobubble formation process. The nanobubble size distribution of the second population type (created by ethanol-water exchange, case B) is a mixture of two clearly separated distributions, hence, with two preferred radii. The local ordering is less significant, due to the looser packing of the nanobubbles.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Cell type-specific regulation of choline acetyltransferase gene expression - Role of the neuron-restrictive silencer element and cholinergic-specific enhancer

This study demonstrates the presence of positive and negative regulatory elements within a 2336-base pair-long region of the rat choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) gene promoter that cooperate to direct cell type-specific expression in cholinergic cells. A 21-base pair-long neuron-restrictive silencer element (NRSE) was identified in the proximal part of this region. This element was recognized by the neuron-restrictive silencer factor (NRSF), previously shown to regulate expression of other neuron-specific genes. The ChAT NRSE was inactive in both cholinergic and non-cholinergic neuronal cells, but repressed expression from a heterologous promoter in non-neuronal cells. Specific deletion of this element allowed ChAT gene promoter activity in non-neuronal cells, and overexpression of NRSF repressed ChAT gene promoter activity in cholinergic cells. The distal part of the ChAT gene promoter showed cholinergic-specific enhancing activity, which stimulated promoter activity in cholinergic cells, but was inactive in non-cholinergic neuronal and non-neuronal cells. This enhancer region suppressed the activity of the ChAT NRSE in cholinergic cells, even after NRSF overexpression. Thus, at least two kinds of regulatory elements cooperate to direct ChAT gene expression to cholinergic neurons, namely a neuron-restrictive silencer element and a cholinergic-specific enhancer

Potato Plant Gene Expression and Physiology During Three-Way Interactions with Mycorrhizal Fungi and Lepidopteran Larvae

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are integral components of ecosystems and form root associations with the majority of land plants (\u3e80%). In these relationships, AMF provide essential nutrients to their hosts, primarily phosphorus, in exchange for photosynthates, which enhance plant growth and help plants overcome environmental stress. The below-ground interaction between plants and AMF can indirectly alter aboveground plant interactions with insect herbivores. Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) which are considered one of the most important vegetable crops worldwide, naturally form symbioses with AMF. However, it is not well understood how the association between potatoes and AMF can potentially affect leaf-chewing insect herbivory. This study examined the interactions between potatoes, the generalist Lepidopteran larvae of the cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni), and a generalist AM fungus (Glomus intraradices). The research objectives were to: a) determine the impact of the tripartite interaction involving an AM fungus, potatoes, and cabbage loopers on each organism involved, b) examine gene expression of a group of defense-related plant genes during a tripartite interaction, and c) assess changes in potato physiology during the tripartite cabbage looper-potatoAM fungus interaction. The results indicate that larval growth was negatively impacted after feeding on mycorrhizal potato plants at the low level of G. intraradices root colonization (20-40% colonized at time of insect exposure) in the first experiment. Larvae gained significantly less weight after seven days of feeding on mycorrhizal plants at the low level of G. intraradices colonization compared to those that fed on highly colonized plants. Mycorrhizal plants at high levels of G. intraradices root colonization accumulated more shoot biomass, however, root biomass was not altered by the AM symbiosis. While defense-related genes were upregulated in shoots of mycorrhizal plants, their expression levels were not significantly different compared to non-mycorrhizal plants. The second and third experiments were designed using the low level of G. intraradices root colonization. Similarly, cabbage looper larvae gained less mass after eight days of feeding on mycorrhizal plants compared to those that fed on nonmycorrhizal plants. In this case, increased levels of transcripts of defense-related genes were detected in above-ground tissues. Interestingly, cabbage looper herbivory caused an ‘apparent’ stimulation of the AM fungus root colonization. Results from the third experiment revealed that while insects were negatively affected by the AM symbiosis, there were not substantial changes in potato plant physiology. Overall, this research showed that potato root colonization by G. intraradices indirectly altered cabbage looper growth (measured as weight), but the effect is dependent on the mycorrhizal stage. At the low level of G. intraradices colonization, the physiology of potato plants was not altered, but again, insects gained less mass after feeding on mycorrhizal plants. At the high levels of G. intraradices colonization, potato shoots accumulated more mass, but also insects gained more mass after feeding on mycorrhizal plants. Taken together, these data suggest that potatoes may transition from insect resistance to tolerance when progressing from low to high levels of G. intraradices root colonization